Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana Interview

Share.

Gust's upcoming PS2 RPG in which you take on the role of an aspiring young alchemist in the world of Regallzine

By Richard Aihoshi - 'Jonric'

Shy and not prone to showing his emotions, Klein Kiesling is the grandson of Daphne, a renowned alchemist who tutored him in the fundamental aspects of her esoteric art. He decided his life's goal was to become an even more proficient practitioner, but following her death, he has no choice but to seek out other sources of information. To this end, he has, at the age of 17, embarked on a personal quest for knowledge. Accompanied by his Mana friend Popo, he arrived at the city of Kavoc, where he met the slightly younger Lita Blanchimont, a fighter with a growing reputation earned from her great skill hunting monsters. Lively, enthusiastic and friendly, she comes to Klein's rescue during a perilous incident, then offers him the opportunity to work with her. Little does either know where their destinies will lead.

Presently approaching release in North America, Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana is developer Gust's console title described as an alchemic adventure RPG. It takes place in a world called Regallzine, which is home to a variety of spirits known as Mana. The above-mentioned Popo is one of them, among a reported total of 14. He has a special connection with wood, while the others are linked to life, stones, darkness, air, fire and more. During the game, the characters may work with them to create many different items, spells and skills that will come in handy. Regional publisher NIS America has a growing reputation for bringing us quality titles, often strategy RPGs, that may not always get the attention they deserve. Accordingly, when we received the opportunity to ask Localization Coordinator Steven Carlton about this one, we very quickly did so.

Includes five exclusive screenshots

Jonric: What kind of game Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana, what are its distinctive strengths and features, and to what does the name refer?

Steven Carlton: Atelier Iris is an RPG that centers around a young alchemist's journey to become a master of his chosen craft. The distinctive strength of this game lies in the different forms of synthesizing items. There are over 300 different ones, and most of them will need to be synthesized from others.

The name Atelier Iris refers to the Atelier series game that tells the legacy of a master alchemist named Iris.

The characters all have great characterizations that'll make them memorable and stand out from the usual RPG crowd.

Jonric: When did you decide to bring the game to North America, and what is the current status regarding release?

Steven Carlton: The idea to bring Atelier Iris over to the States actually began last summer. The planning phase took about a month or so, and then the localization process took about half a year.

Our target date for the North America release is late June. I don't see any real major obstacles at this point, so we should meet this deadline.

Jonric: What kind of RPG is it, and what core strengths will differentiate it from other titles this summer? To what kind of gamer will it appeal most, and how much play and replay value will it offer?

Steven Carlton: Atelier Iris can be classified as an action RPG. For the most part, the player will run around the towns and roads as Klein, the main character. You will be able to run, jump, fly, shoot fireballs and extract elements in the various town and dungeon stages. As you travel around, you'll run into random encounters where you will engage in turn-based battles with monsters and bandits.

What really sets this game apart is the beautifully animated 2-D character sprites and the great depth and personalities of the characters. Atelier Iris will mostly appeal to gamers who appreciate great storytelling and those who love games that challenge them to try to collect every little thing in them. The average player can expect to spend about 45 to 60 hours of playing time. The replayability of this game mainly depends on the desire to unlock all of the extras, like final skills and bonus material.

Jonric: What would you like our readers to know about the backstory setting up the game, and also about the story element?

Steven Carlton: The backstory for the game revolves around the exploits of Iris, a master alchemist who saved the world from destruction. Now, Klein must master the art of alchemy to follow in Iris' footsteps as the same threat returns.

The main storyline is linear; however, there is an abundance of side quests that players will encounter along the way. There are several in-game cinematics in the storyline, which help show the progression of character development, and two movies at the beginning of the game.

Jonric: What kind of gameworld will we see, does it have many different locations, and are any particularly unusual or notable?

Steven Carlton: The game takes place in the South Esviore region of the world of Regallzine. There are several different towns to visit, as well as wild areas like forests, caves and ruins.

The most interesting location has to be the Puni God, an enormous slime monster that you get to explore from the inside.

Jonric: With respect to the player characters, what makes them particularly memorable? How many can you directly control at any given time?

Steven Carlton: All of the player characters have decided to take it upon themselves to defend the helpless from monsters of all shapes and sizes. They all have a different motivation that drives them, and all of them are multi-dimensional. The characters all have great characterizations that'll make them memorable and stand out from the usual RPG crowd.

There is a total of six characters for players to control, but only three may fight at any given moment. You can switch your characters in and out of battle at any time.